Our Bedford / Manchester Care Team

Melissa Janicke, Owner and Director of Operations

The decision to start a home care agency was a very personal one. In 2004 I lost both of my grandparents to Pancreatic cancer. Their battle was long and painful both physically and emotionally. They were living states away at the time and the toll it took on our family trying to provide care for them was almost unbearable. At the time, I was unaware of the home care industry and that such options even existed. Once we started researching our options we realized that this was not something to feel guilty about (as guilt was our instinctive reaction). This was allowing us to finally give my grandparents the quality and frequency of care they deserved. Home care allowed me to be a granddaughter as opposed to a caregiver for the time we had left together.
Since then, I’ve experienced success as a business owner, become a mother to two beautiful children, and in 2014 moved back to NH where both my husband and I grew up. We wanted to be closer to our parents and allow our kids to have the kind of relationship with their grandparents that I had with mine growing up. It seemed like the right time to open our own home care agency. When the time comes that our parents need care I want to be able to offer them the best care available. This is what lead my husband and me to BrightStar Care.

Tammy Ham, Director of Business Development

My mother was a Registered Nurse who started her own home health care business when I was growing up. I have always been in awe of my mom in the way that she took care of people and ran her company. The client came first, and she went above and beyond when it came to serving her clients and managing her nurses. My career has always been in sales, but I knew I wanted to be in an industry that could change people's lives. That is when I came upon the BrightStar Care model, A Higher Standard of Care, and I joined the BrightStar Care team. Now, I am able to fulfill my dream and, in some respects, follow in my mom's footsteps. I believe that my strengths are building long term relationships with my referrals. I want to be able to represent a company that will give the best quality care to all the people we serve while giving them the ability to live their lives to the fullest in the comfort of their own homes.

Angela Theriault, Recruiter & Human Resources Manager

I have been in the healthcare industry for over 20 years. During that time, I have worked in both a clinical and an administrative capacity, mostly in specialty physician owned practices. I received my BS in Health Care Administration and focused my efforts on managerial positions as I progressed during my career, specifically those pertaining to Human Resources and Recruiting. At some point in the future, I plan on obtaining my Master’s degree in Human Resources and becoming certified through the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management). As I become older, my parents are getting older. I help them when they need it, and I know there will come a time when I may need the support or they will need more support than I can provide. I am hopeful that I can keep them at home for years to come. My journey into working in home care started a while ago because I recognized the need and the importance of keeping the people you love at home for as long as possible. One of the greatest aspects about BrightStar Care is they help provide home care assistance AND skilled care when it gets to that point, and hopefully it won’t; but if it does I’m happy to know that I work for an agency with the highest standards and a terrific team. I am proud to be a part of the team here and am looking forward to years of success and to helping those in need. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, reading, writing, listening to music, watching great movies, spending time with my friends and family, and I love being outdoors in the warmer months. Not much of snow bunny! I am a motorcycle and sports car enthusiast and enjoy going to local events when they have them.

Amy Doucette, Lead Care Manager, LNA

Hello! My name is Amy Doucette and I am the Lead Care Manager here at BrightStar Care of Bedford. I have been involved in the medical field in one capacity or another since I was 18 years old when I became a CNA for the first time. Since, I have been licensed as an EMT, caring for people as an emergency responder, and attended nursing school. I have always had an affinity toward both medicine and business and am happiest when I am able to marry the two. In my current role, I have just that. Every day, I am able to interact with people and touch their lives in a multitude of ways; including providing personal care and working behind the scenes ensuring proper care and support is being provided. I very much enjoy my role and find it to be very rewarding. You can rest-assured that here at BrightStar Care, we will work to make you feel both comfortable and confident that you or your loved one will be well cared for.

Kaitlin Ryan, Care Manager

I received my degree in Business Management, and my career started as a Manager for a Credit Union. My previous years were spent in Assisted Living. I knew deep down, that I was looking for more, and wanted to have a career that would make a difference in someone’s life. I started in a small facility that was strictly a Memory Impaired facility, and I loved everything about it. I fell in love with the residents, and learned so much about healthcare. A larger facility reached out to me about a new career opportunity, and I decided to take the leap of faith and took it. I spent the past year once again learning more about healthcare, and the benefits that assisted living gave to people. Last year, I was in an accident with my horse, which lead me to a broken back. I have been riding horses the majority of my life, and never once thought that I would hurt myself like that. After my accident, I realized that being able to recover in the comfort of my own home was exactly what I needed. It has now been a year since my accident, and I finally see the benefits and difference that it can make to stay at home. I took my accident, as an opportunity to learn about homecare, and what is out there for not only the senior population, but for rehabilitation, companion care and so much more. I learned about BrightStar care through the healthcare field, and after reading more about the company; I decided to change one more time and join the team. My passion for healthcare has brought me to BrightStar Care.